Department for Education

Special Educational Needs: Coronavirus

lord addington: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans, if any, they have to carry out exploratory assessments into whether those children classed as vulnerable who did not physically attend schools during the COVID-19 lockdown had a recognised category of special educational needs and particularly those of the neuro-diverse types including (1)dyslexia, (2) autism, (3) dyspraxia, and (4) Attention Deficit Disorder.

baroness berridge: There are no plans to assess the special educational needs categorisation of children classed as vulnerable who have not attended school during partial closures.The department will continue to ask schools to report on attendance overall, as well as attendance by vulnerable pupils, including those with education, health and care plans and social workers, beyond 1 June, when schools began welcoming back more children.The department carries out analysis on the regional attendance trends which is used to support decision-making and to inform conversations with special educational needs and disabilities leads in local authorities.

Physical Education

lord addington: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans are in place to provide structured physical education for any children returning to school before the 2020 summer break.

baroness berridge: We want to get all children and young people back into education as soon as possible because it is the best place for them to learn, and because we know how important it is for their mental wellbeing to have social interactions with their peers, carers and teachers. We are working to ensure that schools are fully supported when they open more widely. Schools are free to organise and deliver a PE curriculum that suits the needs of all their pupils whilst following COVID-19 government guidelines. Our latest guidance for schools can be found here:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-for-schools-and-other-educational-settings. We want every child to be able to do the 60 minutes a day of physical activity recommended by the UK Chief Medical Officers. This is important for their physical and mental wellbeing and will be especially important for children who have had restricted opportunity to exercise while at home. The government is working closely with nurseries, schools, physical activity experts and sport providers to ensure that there is advice and resources to support everyone to participate in regular exercise. We are advising schools to use outside space for exercise where possible and encourage activities such as supervised non-touch running games. The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, working alongside Sport England, launched a £195 million package to help the sport and physical activity sector through the COVID-19 outbreak, with more recent guidance published on the phased return of grassroots sport and recreation:https://www.sportengland.org/news/195-million-package-help-sport-and-physical-activity-through-coronavirus.https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-on-phased-return-of-sport-and-recreation.These are rapidly developing circumstances; we continue to keep the situation under review and will keep Parliament updated accordingly.

Ministry of Justice

Prisoners' Release: Coronavirus

lord bradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on the number of releases from prison over the next 12 months of the Parole Board’s decision to postpone face-to-face hearings due to COVID-19.

lord keen of elie: The Parole Board take a detailed and sophisticated approach to assessing whether the statutory release test, set by Parliament, is met to ensure the protection of the public. In the temporary absence of face-to-face hearings, the Board has introduced measures to ensure as many parole hearings continue through the use of an intensive paper review process and by telephone and video technology to determine whether it is safe for the protection of the public for an offender to be released. Through these measures, the Board reports it is successfully managing to progress and make decisions without compromising the quality or integrity of the risk assessment process. If that is sustained, the Board does not envisage any significant impact on the number of release decisions it makes.

Prisoners: Coronavirus

lord german: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many prisoners have been tested for COVID-19 (1) in each of the last five weeks, and (2) in total up to 20 May.

lord keen of elie: NHS England and Improvement is responsible for commissioning healthcare in prisons and are, therefore, responsible for testing for Covid-19. As such, we do not hold this data on prisoner testing.Covid-19 testing is ongoing in prisons and is being conducted by internal or external healthcare practitioners on symptomatic prisoners on site. The testing capacity is dependent on local commissioning services, therefore the numbers of those tested varies by establishment. Prisoners that require hospital care are being transferred to hospital and may also be tested there.

Reading Prison: Change of Use

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to review their decision to reject Reading Council’s bid to convert HM Prison Reading into an art centre; and what consideration they gave to the preservation of the building as an arts venue.

lord keen of elie: Marketing of the former prison at Reading has completed and a preferred bidder selected. We have no plans to review our decision not to progress with any of the other bids for the site. A range of factors were considered in assessing which bid represented the best value for the department and the taxpayer.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Public Lavatories: Coronavirus

baroness greengross: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they will take to ensure that public toilets reopen after the COVID-19pandemic.

lord greenhalgh: The government has published guidance (attached) on safer public spaces. It includes advice, information and examples of the potential interventions that can be used in public places to facilitate social distancing in areas of higher footfall such as in parks (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/safer-public-places-urban-centres-and-green-spaces-covid-19). Owners and operators are advised to implement cleaning protocols to limit coronavirus transmission in public places. It is advised that touch points (e.g. handrails and gates) should be particular areas of focus for increased cleaning.To help everyone maintain good hygiene, consideration should be given to: configuration of toilet facilities to ensure they are kept clean, with social distancing achieved as far as possible and with best practice handwashing followed; where possible, providing hand towels as an alternative to hand dryers in handwashing facilities; signs at public toilets for queuing, social distancing and automatic sanitising; using signs and messages to build awareness of good handwashing technique and other respiratory hygiene behaviours, e.g. around coughing and sneezing in public places; where possible, providing hand towels as an alternative to hand dryers in handwashing facilities; and queue marking indicators at main entrance, popular park destinations and toilets.We have now made £3.2 billion available to local authorities through an unringfenced grant so they can address pressures they are facing in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The package recognises the additional costs and pressures on finances councils are facing as a result of the current crisis. It demonstrates the Government’s commitment to making sure councils, including upper and lower tier authorities, have the resources they need to support their communities through this challenging time.



Safer public places guidance
(PDF Document, 7.53 MB)

Ministry of Defence

Armed Forces: Greenhouse Gas Emissions

baroness bennett of manor castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to restore the policy of publishing standalone Sustainable MOD annual reports to ensure that the records of all military greenhouse gas emissions each year are easily accessible.

baroness goldie: Ministry of Defence greenhouse gas emissions and performance against targets are reported in the Department's Annual Report and Accounts.

Arms Trade: Coronavirus

baroness bennett of manor castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on (1) future UK arms sales, and (2) existing arms contracts.

baroness goldie: It is not yet clear what the full impact will be of the Covid-19 outbreak on existing Ministry of Defence contracts, although it is inevitable that there will be some repercussions. We remain closely engaged with our strategic suppliers to monitor and understand the impact of Covid-19 on defence during this critical time. The Department for International Trade's Defence and Security Organisation (DIT DSO) has not made a formal assessment on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on future UK arms sales or existing arms contracts. DIT DSO remains in close contact with industry and is actively monitoring the situation through its Industry Engagement Plan. DIT DSO will continue to support UK defence and security industries to export, post COVID-19.

Armed Forces: Veterans

lord touhig: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address the issue of Commonwealth-born UK Armed Forces veterans facing financial difficulties and deportation due to a lack of awareness about how to regularise their immigration status following discharge.

baroness goldie: Commonwealth UK Armed Forces veterans are made aware of the process for regularising their immigration status on enlistment to the Armed Forces, during their service and again prior to discharge. Following discharge, Veterans UK's Veterans Welfare Service and Defence Transition Services provide the same level of support to Foreign and Commonwealth veterans as they do to any other veteran. They provide relevant advice, information and support, assisting veterans to access the appropriate range of services to meet their individual needs and requirements. This support continues for as long as required as part of our commitment to providing 'through-life support' to veterans.

Armed Forces: Commonwealth

lord touhig: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many Commonwealth citizens are currently serving in the UK Armed Forces.

baroness goldie: As at 1 October 2019, there were 4,490 Commonwealth citizens in the trained and trade trained strength of the Regular Armed Forces and 240 in the Future Reserves 2020 population.Notes:Figures for the Royal Navy/Royal Marines and Royal Air Force are for the Trained Regular population and Trained Future Reserve 2020 (FR20) population. Army figures are for Trade Trained Regular population, and Trained FR20 population.UK Regulars consist of Full-time Service personnel, including Nursing Services, but excluding FTRS personnel, Gurkhas, mobilised Reservists, Military Provost Guard Service, Locally Engaged Personnel and Non-Regular Permanent Staff.FR20 includes Volunteer Reserves who are mobilised, High Readiness Reserves and those Volunteer Reserves serving on FTRS and Additional Duties Commitment. Sponsored Reserves who provide a most cost-effective solution than Volunteer Reserves are also included in the Army Reserve FR20 figures.Nationality is as reported on the Joint Personnel Administration systemFigures are rounded to the nearest 10 in line with disclosure control policy.

Ministry of Defence: Renewable Energy

lord touhig: To ask Her Majesty's Government what change there has been in the proportion of energy used by the Ministry of Defence that is drawn from renewable sources since 2010.

baroness goldie: Data on renewable energy consumed by the Defence Estate is not held centrally. The proportion of electricity used by the Department, drawn through the GB National Grid, from renewable sources has increased from 2.97% in 2010 to 32% in 2020. The Department recognises its contribution is vital in the UK's response to bring greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050. As such, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) has launched a Climate Change and Sustainability Review. The Review is currently at the scoping stage; setting the ambition, refreshing the baseline and establishing the MODs route to net zero. The Review aims to have a clear response plan in place by the end of 2020.

Ministry of Defence: Procurement

lord touhig: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to promote sustainability in the supply chain during Ministry of Defence procurement.

baroness goldie: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) takes environmental and sustainability issues into account throughout its acquisition process. Our investment approvals policy includes a requirement to take sustainability into account in all initial business cases, and the use of an environmental management system is mandated for all acquisition projects.This helps to ensure that our activities are compliant with Government sustainable development and environmental protection policy requirements. Where relevant, sustainability and environmental requirements are also defined in defence contracts, evaluated in the tender process and monitored and managed through the life of the contract to ensure MOD requirements are being met.We also expect defence industry suppliers to play a key role in improving their own processes and supply chain education. Where sub-contractors are engaged, the prime contractor remains responsible for ensuring adherence to all obligations, including those relating to sustainability and environmental issues.We expect our suppliers to abide by the Government's Supplier Code of Conduct, which requires suppliers to understand and reduce their impact on the environment. Underpinning this, the MOD has published a Defence Standard for assurance that contractors are operating suitable environmental management systems.We also continue to work through the Sustainable Procurement Working Group to share good practice and maintain a dialogue with industry partners on this important issue.More information on how the MOD manages sustainable procurement can be found on the Knowledge in Defence website at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/guidance/knowledge-in-defence-kid.

Defence: Expenditure

lord west of spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to maintain present planned levels of defence spending, as part of their commitment to NATO’s deterrence and defence capability.

baroness goldie: Her Majesty's Government is committed to spending at least 2% of GDP on Defence each year of this Parliament, as per the Defence Investment Pledge. The UK is one of only a handful of nations that meets, and in our case exceeds, the 2% target and remains the largest European Defence spender in NATO.

Department for Work and Pensions

Universal Credit

baroness lister of burtersett: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the rationale for applying the benefit cap to Universal Credit claimants who have been furloughed, or whose working hours have reduced, but who do not qualify for the grace period when those in a similar situation but claiming working tax credit are still able to receive their full entitlement.

baroness stedman-scott: Universal Credit is fundamentally different to legacy benefits and claims cannot be compared like for like.Claimants can approach their Local Authority for a Discretionary Housing Payment if they need additional help to meet rental costs. Exemptions will also continue to apply for the most vulnerable claimants that are entitled to disability benefits and carer benefits.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Fruit and Vegetables: Production

baroness bennett of manor castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to increase the availability of a diverse range of UK-grown vegetables and fruit in areas local totheir production.

lord gardiner of kimble: The Government recognises the crucial role the UK's horticulture industry plays in both feeding the country and in promoting people's health and wellbeing. The UK has the climate, the landscape, and entrepreneurial farmers and growers to enable us to produce world-class fruit and vegetables. We are proud of our growing food reputation. Protected Geographical Indications (PGIs), whether they be for beef from Scotland, lamb from Wales or asparagus from the Vale of Evesham in England, play an important role as exemplars of our quality produce. We are committed to celebrating the success of these regional and traditional products whose authenticity and origin can be guaranteed, along with driving further market access to make sure they are enjoyed here and around the world. We will always champion our farmers and growers, supporting them to grow more of our great British food and to provide a reliable and sustainable food supply to the British public. This includes through using powers under our landmark Agriculture Bill, and through our work with the Food and Drink Sector Council, a formal industry partnership with the Government, helping to create a more productive and sustainable food and drink sector. The UK has a high degree of food security, built on access to a range of sources including strong domestic production and imports from other countries. Half of the food we eat is produced in the UK. The rest of our food is imported, with 30% coming from the EU and 20% from other countries. The UK's current production to supply ratio is 75% for indigenous-type foods and 61% for all foods. We produce 61% - 75% of our food supply, but some of that is exported. Under the current EU State Aid rules we have been unable to promote our home produced food and drink to the domestic market in Government sponsored campaigns nationally. However, we continue to work with regional food groups to showcase their top-quality produce locally; tying this up where we can with stakeholder initiatives (such as those of the AHDB), focussing on provenance and the UKs world-leading standards of food safety, animal welfare and environmental protection.

Home Office

Free Movement of People

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the assistance provided for workers from outside the UK with horticultural duties during the COVID-19 pandemic, what consideration they have given to reversing their advice on restrictions of the freedom of movement.

baroness williams of trafford: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 04 June 2020.The correct answer should have been:

We welcome the contribution which seasonal workers from outside the UK are making to the UK agricultural sector. Such workers will not have to enter into quarantine on arrival in the UK but we will expect them, and their employers, to take sensible measures to prevent any spread of disease and for the migrants to remain on the farms where they are working.Arrangements have been made to allow seasonal workers to commence employment while in self-isolation following their arrival in the UK. They and their employers are expected to take adequate measures to prevent any spread of disease and for the migrants concerned to remain on the farm where they are working and away from others on it throughout the period of self-isolation. Arrangements have also been made to extend the visas of those horticultural workers whose visas who have been unable to leave the UK due to the disruption to international travel caused by Covid-19.

baroness williams of trafford: We welcome the contribution which seasonal workers from outside the UK are making to the UK agricultural sector. Such workers will not have to enter into quarantine on arrival in the UK but we will expect them, and their employers, to take sensible measures to prevent any spread of disease and for the migrants to remain on the farms where they are working.Arrangements have been made to allow seasonal workers to commence employment while in self-isolation following their arrival in the UK. They and their employers are expected to take adequate measures to prevent any spread of disease and for the migrants concerned to remain on the farm where they are working and away from others on it throughout the period of self-isolation. Arrangements have also been made to extend the visas of those horticultural workers whose visas who have been unable to leave the UK due to the disruption to international travel caused by Covid-19.

Asylum: Children

the lord bishop of durham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have put in place to ensure that children can continue to be transferred to the UK under section 67 of the Immigration Act 2016 during theCOVID-19 pandemic.

the lord bishop of durham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the implications for the UK of successful transfers of separated children from Greece to other countries in Europeunder the European Commission’s relocation scheme for transfers ofunaccompanied children.

baroness williams of trafford: Section 67 of the Immigration Act 2016 committed the Government to transfer 480 unaccompanied children from Greece, Italy and France to the UK; 478 have now successfully transferred.  We remain in contact with our counterparts in Italy to complete the transfer of the final two children as soon as it is safe to do so.  We welcome the pledges made by other countries to support Greece and stand ready to offer advice and guidance to those developing their own schemes.The UK remains fully committed to meeting our obligations under the Dublin Regulation. Despite covid-19 restrictions, the UK is ready to accept transfers under Dublin whenever Member States are in a position to make those arrangements. Following close collaboration with the Greek Government, 50 asylum seekers arrived in the UK from Greece on 11 May in order to unite with family members who were already lawfully present in the UK.Protecting vulnerable children is a key priority for the Government. In 2019, the UK received more asylum applications from unaccompanied children than any country in the EU and accounted for approximately 20% of all reported UASC claims made in the UK and the 27 EU Member States.

Immigrants: Health Services

lord bassam of brighton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the net financial benefit to the NHS from the immigration health surcharge in each year since the surcharge was introduced; and what proportion of total annual income from the immigration health surcharge comes from foreign nationals working in the health and care sector.

baroness williams of trafford: The Home Office does not collate or publish the breakdown of Immigration Health Surcharge income collected from foreign nationals working in the health and social care sector. Income data for the Immigration Health Surcharge is published annually in the Home Office Annual Report and Accounts. Please see page137 of the Home Office 2018-19 Annual Report and Accounts for the most recent disclosure of Immigration Health Surcharge income:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/807126/6.5571_HO_Annual_Report_201920_WEB.PDF

Refugees: Children

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to participate in discussions with UNHCR about the relocation of unaccompanied refugee children now in Europe, in particular those in Greece; and if not, why not.

baroness williams of trafford: The UK maintains an ongoing dialogue with UNHRC and has a strong and constructive relationship across a range of asylum and resettlement issues.In 2016 Parliament agreed a one-off commitment to relocate 480 unaccompanied children from Europe to the UK under Section 67 of the Immigration Act 2016 (‘the Dubs amendment’). 478 children from Greece, Italy and France have now successfully transferred to the UK under this scheme and we remain committed to completing the final two transfers as soon as it is safe to do so.Under the Dublin III Regulation, the UK will also continue to transfer children from Greece if they have family in the UK until the end of the transition period. The UK remains fully committed to meeting our obligations under the Dublin Regulation. Despite covid-19 restrictions, the UK is ready to accept transfers under Dublin whenever Member States are in a position to make those arrangements. Following close collaboration with the Greek Government, 50 asylum seekers arrived in the UK from Greece on 11 May in order to unite with family members who were already lawfully present in the UK.Protecting vulnerable children is a key priority for the Government. In 2019, the UK received more asylum applications from unaccompanied children than any country in the EU and accounted for approximately 20% of all reported UASC claims made in the UK and the 27 EU Member States.

Cabinet Office

Office for Tackling Injustices

baroness lister of burtersett: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to establish the Office for Tackling Injustices, created in July 2019; and what are that Office’s priorities.

lord true: We are considering how best to take forward the work of the Office for Tackling Injustices in the light of the Government’s domestic priorities.

Ministers of State: Conduct

baroness ritchie of downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they estimate that the results of the investigation into the conduct of the Home Secretary will be published.

lord true: The Prime Minister asked the Cabinet Office to establish the facts and that work is ongoing. The Prime Minister will make any decision on the matter public once the work has concluded.

Civil Service and Public Sector: Disease Control

baroness ritchie of downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they made of the preparedness of the Civil Service and public services to respond to a pandemic prior to the outbreak of COVID-19.

lord true: The Cabinet Office Civil Contingencies Secretariat (CCS) is responsible for the National Security Risk Assessment (NSRA). For all risks included in the NSRA there is an established departmental risk owner. It is the responsibility of each risk-owning department to oversee the management of their portfolio of risks, to ensure their own preparedness and that of their relevant sectors. Departments and agencies can draw upon a wide range of stakeholder input, including Regulators and Local Resilience Forums to enact appropriate mitigation, response and recovery plans for their risks and sectors.

Women and Equalities

Gender Recognition: Discrimination

baroness nicholson of winterbourne: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to (1) amend the Equality Act 2010, and (2) introduce new legislation, to ensure that there is a clear legal definition of transgender discrimination.

baroness berridge: The Equality Act 2010 includes a clear legal definition of transgender discrimination. Under the Act a person has the protected characteristic of gender reassignment if that person is proposing to undergo, is undergoing or has undergone a process (or part of a process) for the purpose of reassigning the person's sex by changing physiological or other attributes of sex. For the purposes of the Act, somebody with this protected characteristic is known as a transsexual person and in general cannot be treated differently for being transsexual.The government will publish its response to the GRA consultation in due course, which will take into account any changes to legislation that may be necessary.

Gender Recognition

baroness nicholson of winterbourne: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the clarity of the language relating to transgender issues in their publications and guidance; and what plans they have to take steps to clarify that language where issues have been identified.

baroness berridge: As part of our engagement on the Gender Recognition Act 2004 (GRA), single-sex and separate-sex service providers were asked whether they felt confident interpreting the Equality Act 2010 with regards to providing services for transgender people. Many single-sex service providers reported that they felt confident doing so. We are also aware that others, including some campaign organisations, have highlighted a desire for greater clarity from the Government about the law and guidance in this area. We intend to say more on this when we publish our response to the GRA consultation.